The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-06-23
By rider of Cleveland Nc Further
Steps
Will Be Taken to Return Rebel Flags
to the States
Veterans Protests Causes Him to
Think Twice,
And Decide that He Has no Authority
in thu Premises.
tts A. Hc Il R.z.I
His Attempt to Graceful Iy Crawl
Through Small Hole.

WASHINGTON, June 16.-The follow
ing letter was sent to the Secretary
of War by the President to-day
''In regard to the disposition of the
flags captured by the Union forces dur
ing the late war, have to-day consid-
cred with more care than when the
subject was orally presented to me.
The action of your Department direct
ing letters to be addressed to the Gov
ernors of all the states Offering to re-
turn, if desired, to the loyal, the Union
flags captured during the war of the
rebellion by the Confederate forces, and
afterwards recovered by the Govern
ment troops, and to the Confederate
states, the flags captured by the Union
forces, all of which for many years
have been packed in boxes and stored
in the cellar and attic of the
War Department, l am of the
opinion that the return of
the flags in the manner thus contem-
plated is not authorized by existing
law nor justified as an executive act.
l request, therefore, that no further
steps be taken in the matter, except to
examine and inventory the flags and
adopt proper measures for their preser-
walton. Any direction as to the final
disposition of them should originate
with Congress.
Yours tIuIV.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
The following statement with regard
to the Presidents action concerning
the proposed return of the flags was
made at the White House to an Asso-
ciated Press reporter: When the ques.
ton was proposed to the President by
the Adjutant General an import
ant feature suggested was the return to
the loyal states of the flags which
had been captured by the
Confederates and re-taken by our
army at the time of the collapse of
the rebellion. They with such Con-
federate flags as had been captured
from the enemy by our troops had, it
was represented, lain for a long time
uncared for and neglected, packed
away in boxes in the cellar of the War
Department and had been re-
moved to the attic as a
better place for their safe keeping.
The disposition of the flags, which
seemed to be answering no good pur-
pose where they were, was the main
Doint anI tho ooDSidorofion v,oS Dra
scented to the President that some flags
had been returned to loyal states upon
their request in individual cases, and
the rest, if desired. might as well all be
returned together. The return of the
flags which were with the
others in the Department was Sug-
gested, but there was not the slightest
of interfering in any way with
the captured flags now held by
any state. The fact was appar-
entity received with favor by
the country, that lately in one or more
cases Northern troops visiting their
late antagonists at the South had re-
turned to them flags which had been
in battle from those whose
they were receiving. The
further fact that Northern troops who
within short time had been visiting
Southern battle-fields had spoken in
the warmest terms of the kind and
hospitable treatment they had received
from former Confederate soldiers, and
the fact, too, that soldiers from the
North and South were just gathering
at Washington to meet in friendly COM
petition at the National drill seemed to
Indicate that if the Union flags
were returned to the loyal states which
had lost them in battle it would not
be inconsistent with the fraternal
sentiment which seemed to be preva-
lent to offer ab the same time to the
Governors of the states formerly i'll re-
bellion return of the flags which we
had taken from their soldiers. The
right of the Department to make
these returns being questioned by
the President such right was dis
tinctly asserted and presidents
alleged and thereupon his oral
assent was given to the proposed ac-
ton. The matter was dismissed from
his mind until comment thereon within
the last day or so brought it again to
his attention, when upon his personally
examining the law and considering
the subject more carefully, he satisfied
himself that no disposition of these
flags could be made without Con-
gressional action, whereupon he di-
rected a suspension of operations by
the letter made public this evening.